What is a summary of ancient Greek civilization?

A:

Ancient Grecian culture lasted through numerous governmental periods and changed drastically from one to the next, according to the website Ancient Greece. However, certain elements of Greek culture remained the same, such as the division between free man and slave, two primary social classes and a thriving public life.

Keep Learning

Grecian government was divided into three major political eras, including the oligarchy in which wealthy landowners made all the important decisions; the Archaic Period involving the rule of citizen councils who had served in the military; and finally the fully democratic period in which the people ruled by vote, Ancient Greece explains. Throughout these periods, women were not allowed an active role in public life. Instead, women gained status through their male partners. Religion played a major role in the culture of ancient Greece, resulting in the commission of elaborate temples, commemorative statues and lavish festivals to celebrate the various gods and goddesses within the Greek pantheon.

Zeus was the major deity of the ancient Greeks. The original Olympic Games were held every 4 years to pit Greece's most talented and dedicated athletes against one another in honor of Zeus's rule and protection over the massive civilization, as stated by Wikipedia.

The most common type of money that was used in Greece was called the drachma and was the official currency of Athens. Although it was Athens currency, it could be used in most of the cities of Greece because Athens had strong trade relations with the rest of the cities.

The Ancient History Encyclopedia maintains that Ancient Greek people recited and orally passed down mythology to help explain the environment in which they lived and the nature of life on Earth. The word "myth" originally came from the Greek word "mythos," which means "speech or discourse." Later, the meaning of this word came to include fable and legend, suggesting fictionalization.

Ancient Greek actors wore masks to represent the various characters they played, to help them project their voices and to help people sitting in seats far from the stage have some sense of character expression.